Page 38 of Caged Heart
“Yeah, Ares did the same. I don’t know what that’s about but I recognize it, Moni.” I told her the truth because I couldn’t hide that for anything.
“Me too.” Monica gave me a small smile and I forgot how we bonded and why. Some friends you meet stay friends and others evolve into more than that, they become your family. The only people that matter in this world. “How’s Ares holding up? He hasn’t said a word.”
I sighed, and my eyes searched throughout the grand room, in the scope of people trying to find green ones who looked at me differently and told me they saw heaven with me. The words, his words, made me flutter but at the same time, I didn’t think I could enjoy the moment because of everything that was happening around us.
“He didn’t say much about his mother at the funeral, and he was like Mars. He only expressed emotion towards it when he told me he was angry and distraught, but after a moment, he just …”
“He stopped talking?” Monica asked.
“Yeah.” I nodded. We stayed silent momentarily as we sat on the expensive couch in the prime minister’s home. I had never been to Ares and Mars’ home before but now, I wondered how they grew up. Where they played.
“There’s something I need to tell you and I don’t know how or when I’ll tell Lily. I know that we are all friends but, you know, she can’t keep a secret.” Monica said and we both chuckled a little bit.
The first chuckle we were even able to have today.
“What is it?”
Before Monica could even open her mouth to tell me, The Prime Minister stood before us two.
“Hello, I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced. You two must be my sons’ girlfriends,” he said and before either of us could deny it because one, Monica had a boyfriend and two, Ares and I hadn’t spoken about it yet, the prime minister continued talking. “Come with me and let me give you two a tour. Show you around where the boys grew up.”
“Oh no, we’re okay, we can wait for the boys.” Monica said.
“I insist.” His piercing gaze and tone told us there wouldn’t be a no from us again. There was an expression in those eyes, a fearless one yet simultaneously, very hollow as if no one lived there. Much like Ares was at the funeral. He must have really loved his wife.
Both Monica and I slowly stood as we linked hands immediately. It was an automatic response from the both of us. We came from abusive homes; Mine was filled with neglect and a predator who almost got his chance to further ruin my life and Monica’s was filled with beatings for every grade that wasn’t an A and molestation from a family member. She had it worse than me so when I see her smile and be happy, it shows me that there is hope for me. Monica doesn’t share much about her past and I understand. We met through group therapy; even though we didn’t speak much to each other at first, we grew to love one another. To protect.
As we walked behind the prime minister, I turned my gaze to Monica’s, I needed to see that she was okay. That she wasn’t as fearful.
Monica turned her light brown eyes on me and widened her eyes. She squeezed my hand for reassurance; her other hand was texting. I found it funny that she could text with one hand without looking at her phone, but I was grateful right now.
“Who?” I mouthed.
“Mars.” She mouthed back.
I nodded. It made sense, it was easier to text Mars because he would probably look at his messages faster than Ares.
“Girls, welcome to the Wick,” he said as he guided us into such a prestigious room that it screamed money, but before we could say anything else, a bag was placed over our heads causing us to scream loudly.
“Shhh, girls.” was the last thing we heard as we became drenched in darkness.
Chapter27
Carmen
“Don’t cry for me, sweet Goldilocks. Save your tears.” Ares tried to soothe me, but that made more tears fall down my face as his dad held his head down on the table. I looked up at his dad but Ares shushed me making me look at him again. “Don’t look at him, keep your eyes on me, love. Keep them on me.”
Ares’s father was this scary presence but I’m not sure what I was scared of more; him or how he had Ares subdued. The position made it intimate and not in a good way. Although neither were nude or anything disgusting like that, things Ares has never revealed to me were present. The lost look he gave, the way he submitted as if he couldn’t escape it. As if his mind was corrupted already.
“Shut up, boy!” His father yelled out just as the other members who I recognized as people of importance walked out with Mars in tow. He looked like something had occurred to him, but the way neither Mars nor Ares flinched gave me a little hope.
“Strip him!” Their father yelled at Monica who stood so still you would think she was a statue in this weird room that appeared like an upscale club.
Monica looked ready to lose her mind as she walked over to Mars and stood before him, but he didn’t look at her; instead, he kept his eyes trained on his father. There was no emotion there either. Usually, Mars had something to offer, but right now, I could only cry some more as I sat in the same chair. There were no physical restraints, but it felt like I was being held down and there was an anchor attached to my ankle. One that kept me drowned, caged underwater so that I can never be able to swim to the surface. Was it my own misery or these boys’ lives that had me in a chokehold?
“Hurry up or one of them will do it for you, Monica.” Their father said.
Monica didn’t hurry, so one of the men stepped forward and grabbed Mars by the back of his head and bent his head back to look up at him.
